The fun with the children continues…

I am pleased to announce however, so does the blog, except I am not writing it…

When people write interesting comments in response to things I have written I invariably go and check out their work. I am intrigued by the person I am about to introduce as they share some of my ideas and ideals and write in a similar way to me.

Given that we have never met, live 5000 miles from each other and have very different lives, I am as I say, intrigued.

I love this blog, it’s something I think about a lot, though for any action I know I have mastered, I have yet to start work.

Please do follow her links and read her material. Oh and now my book is on Amazon for $9 with free shipping you’ll have change in your pocket to buy hers as well.

Over to Reine.

I have been thinking a lot about what a true “Master” is.

When you hear the word Master, or read about someone who has mastered something, you think of someone who is outstanding and at the top of the list for what they set out to do. A Master of Kung Fu or perhaps someone has mastered playing the piano. But what can we gauge a Master by? Is it his technique? His full comprehension of something? His skill and accomplishments? To a degree, it’s all of those things. Though I do believe the term Master has been misunderstood for many over time. To understand what being a Master is, I am bringing up the old saying, “A jack of all trades, yet a Master of none”. Many of us have been taught to try as many things as you can in life. Of course, this is an amazing way to expand your horizons. It is a wonderful way to be. But there is truth in the saying. To dabble and “give it a try” is just that. Many of us are very happy doing this. Perhaps you tried pottery class, and then decided to give yoga a go; maybe cooking Thai was next so on and so on. Now, you have such an array of amazing things you experienced, but you must take that for what it is. Some experience. To say after taking a 4 week pottery class, you’ve “Mastered” pottery would be absurd. Even if you have taken pottery all your life, does it mean you’ve mastered it? It depends on how you view what a Master truly is.

Taken from the book The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav

“A Master teaches essence. When the essence is perceived, he teaches what is necessary to expand the perception.” To taste a dish of food, to savor the flavors and textures; to understand what goes into the preparation, the spices and where they came from – being grateful for having this food, that is the “essence” of the dish. If you wanted to be a Master Chef, you would have the “essence” for your creations. This goes for anything one wants to Master in life. You must walk before you crawl. You must be your action of that very moment and understand how and why you are there.

For a Martial Arts Master, they must combine the body/mind unity to fully become as such in their skill. One cannot be without the other. So in plain language, you must walk the walk, if you talk the talk.

Then there is the catch phrase, “Master of your own fate”. Can one really be? Mastering something perceives the essence and then expanding the perception, you would have to define “fate”. What have we read about fate? Force predetermining events: the force or principle believed to predetermine events. Outcome: a consequence or final result.

Destiny: something with decisive or far-reaching consequences that inevitably happens to somebody or something. Would it make sense to say then, that we can indeed be a Master of our fate? I believe we cannot Master fate. I believe we can Master our journey. This is the most important part of it all. We are taught that how we begin something and how we end something are what really counts. It is true that starting off well and ending well is our goal, but it’s not the essence of what we achieve. When a runner is in a race, he wants to get the best start possible. To get as far in the lead as he can, it will be easier to maintain his pace throughout and hold his place right? Does this mean he will win? No. He wants to, but if he comes in second or third, he has still taken part in the race and all it took to get him there, was profound. This is the perception expanding. If this runner had not been a true Master of running, he would be focused on winning. It would mean everything. But if the runner’s perception could view how his whole life has been altered by being in motion and trying, he has become greater then any first place could give him.

Fate then is always changing with our perception and essence. The only thing we can truly Master is ourselves. Then what ever you are trying to achieve will be as great as you are in that moment. As amazing as you become from your understanding of your “race”.

So, when you are ready to give your time to something and want to do well with it and become a Master; try to remember that everything you open your mind to through your class, or sport, or artistic creation has this essence you must have reverence for and become a part of. Master the possibilities…

Reine

About me: I am a 35 year old poet, singer, songwriter Mother of 3 living in N.Y.

I have a book out called Soul Words and the poetry in it is about all of these things I have come to understand in my life journey. I have fused science and the soul into words.

You can find me on

http://reinem.wordpress.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/soulwordsamodeo